Mobile Tips for First Responders: Guidelines for Including Individuals with disabilities in Evacuation and Sheltering

The Region VI Disability Integration Work Group (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico) suggested a mobile application of the TIPS for First Responders. A member of the Region VI Disability Integration Work Group, Dr. Laura Stough, with Project REDD at the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University, took on the challenge to develop the Mobile TIPS for use on hand-held devices such as Blackberries and iPhones. The Region VI Disability Integration Work Group tested the application and provided input and have been using it since August, 2011. The Mobile TIPS integrates the original print versions of Dr. Tony Cahill’s 3rd Edition of the TIPS for First Responders, developed at the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico and from the TIPS for First Responders and Texas Resources for Services and Supports, developed at the Texas Center on Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

We wanted to share this very useful information with all of you with thanks to Dr. Laura Stough and Texas A & M University. Access to the Mobile TIPS is: http://disabilitytips.tamu.edu/Please feel free to forward this information.

The Mobile TIPS is a free access mobile application provided at no charge to first responders, disaster service   providers, and voluntary agencies. TIPS provides guidelines on including individuals with disabilities in evacuation and sheltering procedures, as well as contact information for organizations and advocacy groups knowledgeable about access and functional needs. The Directory integrates a database of over 4,000 organizations and services searchable by inputting a zip code or functional need category.  (The Directory is Texas specific but can be easily developed by other states, or local governments.)